Charting Progress of Airline Charters

It’s getting more and more difficult to differentiate between charter and scheduled airlines.

Some charter airlines list their flights on the computerized reservation system used in most travel agencies.

Some charter airlines may even offer a variety of fares and travel classes.

Martinair Holland, a charter airline, will begin a class of service called Star Class this fall.

“The seats will be wider, reclining, and with a deeper pitch,” according to Janice Holden, assistant vice president of Martinair. “Basically, this section and class will correspond to the business sections of scheduled airlines. We’ll also have a separate check-in for (Star Class) passengers.”

Fares for the upgraded service are expected to be $150 to $250 above round-trip economy class.

Charter airlines are also offering more varied fares.

Refundable Fare

“We have a Y-class fare which is good for one year and is refundable, just as with regular airlines,” said Janny Davis, sales/marketing manager of LTU International Airways, a Los Angeles-based charter. “If passengers want to change their return date in Europe, they can do so on a stand-by basis with no extra charge.”

LTU also offers a Q-class fare, which is costs less but is non-refundable.

“This fare has conditions that call for full payment 48 hours after ticketing, and there’s a $100 charge for making flight changes in Europe,” Davis said.

Martinair offers a regular economy fare that comes with a $75 cancellation charge.

“We also have an APEX fare with the same kind of conditions that scheduled airlines have on their advance-purchase, one-way and stand-by fares. We have five fares, so we’re still way behind the scheduled airlines, but we’re getting there,” Holden said.

And on most charters, travelers should be able to get a full refund before departure if the operator changes the price by more than 10%, makes major changes in itineraries or changes the departure time by more than 48 hours.

Deregulation Helped

Why the similarities?

Deregulation has had a great deal to do with charter airlines becoming more like scheduled carriers, Martinair’s Holden said.

“Charter airlines found they had to compete more directly with the scheduled airlines to survive,” she said.

Yet there still are differences in charter flying.

“We operate like scheduled airlines except that we don’t have the same frequency. However, we maintain our schedules religiously, regardless of how many passengers we have aboard,” said Heinz Niederhoff, president of DER Tours and general service agent for Condor Air Lines, a Lufthansa subsidiary.

“We provide passengers with a seat in a nonsmoking section, though we are not obliged to,” Holden said. “It’s a voluntary procedure on our part, and we do it for competitive-service reasons.”

Learn Baggage Rule

Charter airlines may not allow as much luggage as scheduled airlines do. Before traveling, passengers should find out what the luggage allowance is for both check-through and carry-on bags.

Overbooking policy is another difference.

“As a scheduled charter airline we’re not obliged to follow the rules on overbooking,” Holden said, “but we always make sure that passengers can fly by making alternate arrangements.”

In terms of providing amenities to passengers affected by canceled or delayed flights or lost baggage, charter airlines have individual policies similar to those of scheduled airlines.

“In our case, depending on the circumstances, we can provide accommodations, meal vouchers, messages to people and baggage replacements,” Holden said.

When booking a trip on a charter line, make sure that any travel insurance, such as for trip cancellation or interruption, covers charters. Some charter airlines may offer their own form of protection.